Denton couldn’t muster the energy and enthusiasm that Decatur brought to the court Tuesday night, losing its season opener to the Lady Eagles, 46-38.

Denton (0-1), known for its tough defense, was off its game, giving up multiple baskets in transition to Decatur guard Lacey Oates and her teammates.

“We can’t stand around for two-and-a-half quarters and still expect to be successful,” said Lady Broncos head coach Dennis Krishka. “Defensively we were horrible. We gave up way too many easy shots.”

Oates scored 10 points on the night. Decatur forward Lauren Spence also had a solid night, scoring on a couple of running jumpers in the first half en route to a 13-point night.

With the defense lagging, the Lady Broncos needed a big performance on offense to overcome the deficit. They didn’t get it.

Denton was led by center DaLissa Gaines, who accounted for nine of Denton’s 13 first-half points. She dominated the post for most of the game, scoring 17 points and pulling down five rebounds. She had trouble at the foul line, though, going 3-for-7 and missing some crucial attempts during a Denton comeback attempt in the second half.

“DaLissa had a real solid game,” Krishka said. “She is a strong force down on the block.”

Brittani Brock also stepped it up in the second half after a sub-par first half when she only scored two points. She ended up scoring eight of her 10 total points in the fourth quarter -- all on free throws -- before fouling out of the game.

Other than Gaines and Brock, the Lady Broncos couldn’t get anything going offensively.

The rest of the team scored a combined 11 points, with Marlee Ross accounting for seven of those.

“We’ve just got to find more options on the offensive side of the ball,” Krishka said.

The Lady Broncos split two games with Decatur last year. On Tuesday, the tiebreaker went to Decatur.

MONTY MILLER can be reached at 940-566-6869. His e-mail address is mwmiller@dentonrc.com.

Decatur 46, Denton 38

Decatur            15            6            9            16            --            46

Denton 7            6            10            15            --            38

Decatur (1-0) – Lauren Spence 13, Lacey Oates 10, Kelsey Hayes 34, Timmie Boyce 7, Cassie Partridge 5, Candace Clayton 3.

Denton (0-1) -- DaLissa Gaines 17, Brittani Brock 10, Marlee Ross 7, Demira Manuel 2, Ilke Begec 2.